One Life
by Feebeefi
Summary: Yugi tries to teach other a hard lesson he learnt after Joey paid the ultimate price. ONE SHOT. Char death.


I know I haven't been updating recently and I'm really sorry for that. I found out about 2 weeks ago that one of my best friends had died. He tried heroin for the first time and accidently overdosed and died. I took a break from writing and from, well, everything really but then I got an idea to write this fic and now I'm writing and drawing again.

I wrote this as a tribute to my friend and also to act as a warning to anyone who thinks about trying drugs. I hope this will put off at least some of you.

"Speaking"

'Thinking'

**One Life**

"And now presenting Mr Yugi Motou!"

Yugi stepped up to the podium. He looked at all the young faces staring up at his, waiting to hear his story.

"Good evening guys. I'm going to tell you about what happened to my best friend. I hope this story will help you"

Yugi was walking home from college. He'd just had an interview with some of his lecturers to decide whether he could stay on another year and do a different course. The lecturers accepted him happily. He was a good student. He handed in his work on time, was never late and never gave any of his lecturers any trouble. He was going to call Yami to tell him about it when he remembered he'd left his mobile at home. More specifically, on his bed. He sighed and carried on walking his usual route home. There was nothing strange about today. The sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in sight. People were out shopping or hanging out. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"I wonder if I'll see Joey tomorrow" he wondered out loud.

He and Joey had been best friends for years but a couple of years ago Joey moved away with his father. He and Yugi promised to keep in contact but after a couple of months the letters and phone calls stopped. Yugi wasn't worried; he knew Joey could take care of himself. He left his school and went to college. He was doing well in his course and he was very happy with his life. One day he was walking through the college by himself when he thought he saw Joey. He shook his head. "It can't be him" he told himself. The next day he saw him again. Joey turned to face him and waved. "Hey Yugi!" he called.

Yugi dropped his books. "J-Joey? Is it really you!" he stammered.

Joey came over and picked up the books Yugi had dropped. "Course it's me buddy!". He pulled Yugi into a big hug. "I've missed ya pal".

They went to a quieter area and sat on a bench and caught up. "I lost my mobile with all my contacts so I couldn't contact you. I'm sorry pal. But I got myself a new mobile and moved to this area last week and signed up for some course here. I've been hoping I would run into you" Joey said.

After that Yugi and Joey saw eachother everyday around the college and hung out after class. 'It's so good to have my best friend back' Yugi thought. After several months Yugi began to see Joey less and less around college until it was a month before he saw him again.

"I got kicked off my course for swearing at the lecturer" Joey said in a matter-of-fact tone when asked by Yugi. They were sitting by their usual benches. "To be honest pal that course wasn't for me. I didn't like it at all but I snuck into the grounds to see you".

"O right" Yugi said. "So, how's things going with Seto?".

Joey grinned. He'd told Yugi about how he found out he was gay when they were catching up. He now had a new boyfriend. "It's fine" he said.

Yugi looked at his watch. "Sorry Joey I have to go. I promised Grandpa I'd be home by 3pm". Joey stood up and pulled Yugi into a hug. "See ya soon pal. I'll talk to ya on MSN". Yugi turned and waved as he ran out of the college gates. Joey grinned and waved enthusiastically back. That was the last time Yugi saw him.

Yugi was almost home. He looked at his watch. 'If I get back to the shop soon I might catch Joey on MSN. I haven't spoken to him for a couple of weeks'.

Yugi ran the last leg home and ran into the shop. "Hey Yugi!" Yami said. "You're mobile has been ringing several times. Sounds like someone is desperate to talk to you".

"Thanks Yami" Yugi said as he threw his bag on the sofa and raced up to the room he shared with Yami. He looked at his mobile and saw he had 5 missed calls, all from Tristan. He also saw he had a voicemail. 'Wonder what's going on?' he thought as he called his voicemail. After pressing a few buttons he came to the message.

"Hey Yugi. Please call me as soon as you get this. It's urgent!" said Tristan's voice. He sounded really upset, like he'd been crying. Yugi went through his phone book until he got to Tristan's number. He called it.

"Yugi?"

"Yeah it's me. What's up?"

"Yugi I have some bad news. I got a text message this morning saying that Joey died a few days ago"

Yugi was stunned into silence. He tried to keep his voice steady.

"W-Who told you?"

"It was a message from one of those text message sites. Dunno who sent it. They said he died in his sleep"

Yugi couldn't speak. This couldn't be happening. Not his best friend.

"Yugi? Are you there?"

Yugi held back his tears.

"Y-Yeah, um, thanks for telling me Tristan. I-I'll call you later"

"Ok. Bye Yugi".

Yugi hung up and let his phone slip from his hand. Hot, wet tears slid down his face before he could stop them. He couldn't be dead. Not Joey. The guy who was so full of life. His best friend.

"Yugi?"

Yugi looked up to see Yami standing at the doorway. Yami ran to him and held the sobbing Yugi.

"What happened?" he asked.

"He's dead! Joey's dead! Tristan got a message saying he'd died in his sleep a few days ago!" Yugi wailed.

Yami held Yugi close. "I'm so sorry Yugi" he whispered. He sat there with Yugi until nightfall came.

Yugi called Tristan back before he went to sleep. They arranged to meet up at the park the next day with the gang.

Yugi curled into a ball as he snuggled into bed. 'He can't be gone. He can't be dead' he thought as he went to sleep.

The next day he went to the park and met up with Tristan, Tea and Bakura. They all sat on the grass, not talking. They all cried for him. After a few hours Tea and Bakura left, leaving Tristan and Yugi alone.

"How did he die?" Yugi asked.

Tristan shrugged. "I don't know. All it said was that he died a few days ago in his sleep. That's all I know. I've tried contacting Seto but there's been no response, poor guy".

Yugi nodded. If he felt this bad, he couldn't imagine how Seto and Joey's family must be feeling, especially Serenity. He stood up.

"I'm going home Tristan".

Tristan nodded. "See you Yugi".

Yugi went to college the next day as he had an exam that he couldn't miss. He tried to hide his grief. Everywhere he went people were talking about Joey. People who had been horrible to Joey or talked about him behind his back were suddenly acting like he'd been their best friend. This made Yugi angry but he didn't let it show. The next week rumours were flying around about how he died. Yugi didn't believe the suicide attempt story. He knew Joey was very happy. He eventually ran into one of Joey's old friends who knew how he died.

Heroin.

A heroin overdose.

It made Yugi feel sick to the stomach. Joey would never do drugs, especially one that dangerous. He wasn't that stupid.

Yugi ran home and ran into Seto who confirmed what Joey's friend had told him. Yugi couldn't believe it. Joey had been offered some heroin and tried it for the first time. He came home and went straight to sleep. Seto checked on him in the early hours of the morning as he was worried about his lover and that's when he'd been found. Joey had accidentally overdosed and died.

Yugi was in shock. He was so upset but he also felt slightly betrayed. Joey had always promised that he would never do drugs. "Drugs are for stupid idiots" he'd always said. Yugi sank to his knees and pounded his mattress on his bed. "Why Joey!" he cried. "Why!".

Joey's funeral was a week later. Yugi managed to hold himself together, just. Afterwards they all went back to Seto's where they talked and celebrated what a wonderful person Joey was.

Yugi don't know how he made it through his grief. He went online a lot to talk to his online friends who were amazing. They helped him when he was feeling low and kept his spirits up. Yami was also there for him. Everytime Yugi cried, he would hold him and whisper soothing words into his ears until he felt better.Thanks to them, he could smile again.

"And that's the story" Yugi finished.

He looked down at the audience. Some looked horrified at what he'd just told them. Most looked sad and some were even crying. A few lads at the back looked scornful. Yugi knew he couldn't convince everyone but he hoped he'd saved a few lives today.

He stepped down from the podium and went outside. It was the end of October but it felt more like the middle of June. The sun was beating down on Yugi and this made him happy. He knew Joey was watching over him.

Joey's story was important and he was going to make as many people listen to it as he could. He wanted everyone to know the dangers of drugs. Everyone thinks when they try for the first time that they won't die. Joey was one of those people and he died. Yugi didn't ever think he would loose someone so close to him in that way. But he'd learned an important lesson about drugs. He was never going to use them ever. And that life is short. You never know when you're going to die. Joey's death taught him that. And now he was going to make people aware of the dangers of trying and using drugs, and he was also going to live his life to the fullest from now on. After all, you only get one life.

I hope this will help at least some of you. It helped me to write it. Please review. NO FLAMES!


End file.
